New Zealand’s captain Mitchel Santner, right, and Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan, left, step out on to the field before the start of the T20 World Cup cricket match between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Chennai, India, February 8, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan won the toss and opted to bat against New Zealand in their T20 World Cup opener in Chennai on Sunday (February 8, 2026). Afghanistan had defeated New Zealand during their last meeting in a World Cup game two years ago.
Teams
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi.
Published – February 08, 2026 12:08 pm IST
